What Might Have Been
by doggieearlover
Summary: Just what might have happened if Kagome's family hadn't shown up when they did? Divergence within Manga Chapter 494, "The Two Worlds"


Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

**My-only-love won the kiriban at deviantART for capturing the screencap of the 43210 pageview. The winner gets to set the prompt for the drabble/oneshot won. Prompt from My-Only-Love: _I'm kinda curious what would have happened if Kagome's family had gotten home much later in the "two worlds" (494) chapter._**

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**What Might Have Been**

Kagome couldn't believe it. She'd finally been able to return to her home for a few days, and no one was there! Her family had won a trip to the hot springs in the town lottery, so they were gone. She'd dressed and run to school, only to discover it was Sunday. Then, she'd tried to call her three friends, except they were all at the mall shopping. They had cell phones, but she didn't have the numbers – it seemed like her own world was leaving her behind while she tried to save it in the past from the monster Naraku.

In an attempt to pass time, she'd taken a bath, a nap, and cooked dinner. All she had managed to do was make herself realize that what she really wanted was her mother's cooking. Finally, she said to herself, "All right, I'll study." The miko pulled out a book and sat at her desk – but she found her thoughts wandering away from her studying. "I'm lonely," she admitted. "I wonder what InuYasha is up to… he should be here to bother me before long." Not willing to admit defeat, she laid her head down on her desk.

The next thing Kagome knew, she had something warm, fuzzy, and heavy draped over her. "You're awake," she heard as she moved to sit up. Looking over her shoulder, she realized that InuYasha was in her room, watching over her as always. Her eyes welled up with tears. Not only was he there, he had placed her blanket over her.

The hanyou panicked. "What… what did I do?" He had not come to start a fight or to make her cry.

"You came," she whispered as she wiped her eyes. She couldn't tell him that she had never been so happy to see him as she was right then. She didn't want to admit to him how lonely she had been since her return to her era.

"You left your bow," InuYasha said, handing it to her. "The old baba said you need to keep it with you so it can form a connection with your heart."

The young miko took her weapon from him, commenting, "So, this is no ordinary bow." She looked up to see InuYasha in the windowsill. He was saying "bye" and about to jump when she grabbed his long mane of hair and yanked him back. "Where do you think you are going? That's not like you, to just leave and go back."

InuYasha moved to sit on the floor next to her, his legs crossed and his hands tucked into his sleeves. Taking in the scents in the home, he deduced, "No one's here?"

Kagome shook her head.

"So why don't you just come back already?" the confused and now irritable hanyou asked. He had no idea what was going on, except that Kagome was unhappy and he didn't know what to do about it.

She sighed. "I have school tomorrow, and I really should go since that's why I came home. And I'm sure Mama, Souta, and Jii-chan will be back soon, too. I… I just thought they'd all be here."

"You really like it here, don't you?" InuYasha asked quietly.

"Well, yeah," the miko admitted. "My family and friends are here. I've lived here all of my life."

"So why don't you just stay here until Naraku is defeated?" InuYasha suggested.

"What?" Kagome slapped her hand on his forehead. "Are you feeling all right? Do you have a fever?" She turned her back to him. "Did you come here to tell me that? So you can go on a hot springs trip without me?"

"Huh?" the hanyou responded. "Hot springs? What hot springs trip?... I just thought… here… you'd be safe…"

"I…" Kagome laid her cheek against the bed. _'InuYasha is worried because of what happened to Kikyou. But I promised Kikyou… I have to go back.'_

She still could not face InuYasha. "Thanks… You… you were thinking of me, weren't you? You're worried about what might happen."

The hanyou admitted, "Yeah…"

The miko turned so that she could lean into his arm. Resting her head against his shoulder she said, "It's all right, InuYasha. I'll always be with you."

She was surprised to find him shift so that he could wrap one arm around her and gently take her hand in his own. "I'll protect you with my life," he declared as her eyes once again filled with tears.

"InuYasha," she whispered. _'We're all alone… we're so close…'_

She slid her arm under his that was wrapped around her and gently squeezed his hand as she closed her eyes and leaned in a little closer. Her heart began pounding as she felt his lips hesitantly find hers and began to move against them. They were so warm and soft and gentle and… gone?

Kagome opened her eyes to find herself suddenly alone again. "InuYasha?" All she was greeted with was the curtain gently fluttering with the breeze. "What happened?" she said to herself as she hurried downstairs. She put on her shoes and rushed outside towards the well. She was about to go to the Feudal Era after him when she saw a flash of red high up in Goshinboku. "InuYasha?" she called towards him. "I know you're up there. Come down and tell me what's wrong."

The red disappeared entirely as he moved higher into the tree. "InuYasha! Don't make me say it to get you down from there!"

That brought him gracefully leaping to the ground, though with a scowl on his face. Before he could take off again, she grabbed his hand and led him towards the bench under the sacred tree. "What's wrong, InuYasha? Why did you run off like that?"

He mumbled something she could not understand.

"You're going to have to speak up," she demanded.

"You were saying goodbye, and I couldn't handle it," he confessed.

"Huh?" Now Kagome was confused.

"You… that was goodbye, wasn't it?" the hanyou clarified, his ears plastered to his head.

The image of InuYasha kissing Kikyou suddenly rushed through her mind and struck her profoundly. She'd thought that had been the kiss of two lovers, but to InuYasha it was his way of saying goodbye to his first love. And now, he thought she had decided to stay in her era after all, and that she was saying goodbye to him. Grabbing his forelocks and pulling him to her, she kissed him again.

"InuYasha, that's not goodbye. I just told you I'd stay with you and I meant it. I will stay with you not just because of the promise I made to Kikyou or because we have to defeat Naraku, but because I want to. I'll stay with you because I love you. _That_ was what my kiss meant. It wasn't goodbye by any stretch of the imagination."

"Really?" he questioned, his ears perking up.

"Yes, really." She smiled.

The hanyou was leaning towards her like he wanted to kiss her again when he suddenly found his head smashed on the bench as he was pushed to the ground behind her.

"We're home!" Souta said from right in front of them. "What cha doing?"

"When did you come back? We wish you could have gone with us," Jii-chan added.

"I hope you weren't lonely," her mother apologized.

Kagome shook her head. "Oh, no, you could have stayed gone a little longer." She glanced down at the very red-faced hanyou and mouthed, "Sorry."

"Well, invite InuYasha in and come have some supper. It'll be ready in a little while," Mama said as she headed towards the house. "I hope you two weren't fighting again."

A small smile crossed her face as she looked at the smirk on the hanyou's. The miko said under her breath, "No, Mama, not exactly."


End file.
